After four stages, Kovalainen sits in an impressive third place in the WRC2 category. The former F1 driver is trailing only Nikolay Gryazin and Sami Pajari, the latter competing for the WRC2 championship in Japan.
Kovalainen was particularly strong on Friday’s second stage, where he posted the second-fastest time among WRC2 drivers. By the end of the morning loop, he is just over a minute behind Gryazin, who leads the category.
This marks Kovalainen’s third appearance at a WRC event in Japan. In 2022, he finished fourth in the WRC2 category.
The Finnish driver is ahead of several notable competitors, including British rally champion Chris Ingram, Spanish driver Jan Solans, and Gus Greensmith, a familiar name from the WRC’s top category. Greensmith had a moment off the road during Friday morning’s loop.
Kovalainen underwent open-heart surgery earlier this year but has recovered well. He returned to rallying in July in the Japanese rally series, driving Toyota’s Rally2 car.
Gryazin leads the WRC2 category by 46.7 seconds over Pajari, who suffered a puncture on Friday’s second stage. A second-place finish would be enough for Pajari to secure the WRC2 championship.
Five more stages are scheduled for Friday after the tyre fitting zone at Rally Japan.
